Central Deborah Gold Mine in Bendigo offers a rare treat - the opportunity to don a hard hat and take a journey deep beneath the surface to gain an insight into the life of a gold miner. With a guide by your side, you’ll travel 61 metres down to explore the honeycomb of underground tunnels and learn the history of the gold rush boom of the 1900s and the harsh conditions miners suffered through.
Central Deborah Gold Mine extracted 929 kilograms of gold and on the underground tour, you’ll see some in its natural state and learn the traditional methods used to mine it. On the surface, take a self-guided tour through heritage-listed buildings, past original mining equipment and visit the gold mining interpretive museum. There’s a huge gold nugget replica with an interesting story and you can even try your hand at panning for gold.
Central Deborah Gold Mine operated between 1939 and 1954. It was one of over 5,500 registered gold mines on the renowned goldfields of Bendigo. During that time, it extracted 929 kilograms of gold from the earth. Now the mine offers visitors the chance to walk in the footsteps of the gold miners, discovering along the way the history of the famous gold rush era.
With a hard hat and miner’s lamp, the Central Deborah Gold Mine tour takes adventurous visitors 61 metres down for an eye-opening look into mining life in the 1900s. The tour takes around 75 minutes, and most visitors remark what a truly unforgettable experience it is.
The friendly, knowledgeable guides take guests through a myriad of underground tunnels, sharing stories along the way of some of the mine’s history, the hardships of mining life and the characters who worked there. The underground ticket also gives you access to explore the surface of the mine.
Whilst the underground tour is a must, the surface of Central Deborah Gold Mine also offers a treasure trove of gold mining history and relics.
It’s hard to miss the massive 22-metre-high poppet head as you stroll around the site. Some of the neatly maintained original, heritage-listed buildings include the historic Blacksmith's Shop, Carbide Lamp Room and the First Aid Room, all essential to the smooth operation of the mine.
The impressive Engine Room houses the Winder that was installed in 1945, the only complete working example in Australia. The Winder is still used every day at the mine by the crew who maintain the underground workings.Visit the interpretive museum to see a replica of the amazing 27.2 kilogram 'Hand of Faith' gold nugget discovered with a metal detector near Bendigo. It might inspire you to head to the Panning Shed and try your luck!
Opened in 1939, The Central Deborah Gold Mine was one of Bendigo's most successful during the 1930s-40s. The mine expanded in the 1940s and reached its maximum depth of 412 metres. The mine ceased operating in 1954 after producing 929 kilograms (29,865 ounces) of gold.
The surface of the mine was opened to visitors in 1971 with the popular underground mine tours starting in 1986. The Bendigo Trust restored and preserved the original buildings, machinery and fittings and the mine was listed on the Victorian Heritage Register in 1999.
Learn more about the Central Deborah Gold Mine History.
At its peak in the 1900s, Central Deborah Gold Mine reached a depth of 412 metres. It has 17 different levels and 15 kilometres of drives and crosscuts or tunnels.
Below the surface, the mine is an average 14 degrees, so warm clothing is recommended on the Central Deborah Gold Mine Tours.
On the surface of the mine, there are buildings and plant equipment from other historic mines in the Bendigo area including Deborah Extended, North Deborah, South Deborah and Monument Hill.
Our team is always happy to help if you have any questions about us or our tours. Fill out our form and we will get back to you soon.
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